Strains of summer to hit a noisy finale

From Slane to Slaneyside, the hills will be alive to the sound of music this weekend at the summer's last big festivals.

Vinegar Hill is expected to be the less noisy, despite an estimated 150,000 people gathering in its shadow for the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

But the Hill of Slane is again bracing itself for a loud afternoon, with an eclectic line-up headed by Canadian dad-rocker Bryan Adams, techno-blues man Moby, and the woman blasphemously called a "modern-day Aretha Franklin", Macy Gray.

There was concern yesterday that Slane might be alive with more than music. A continuation of recent thunder and lightning was a worrying prospect, but Met Eireann says the risk of lightning is negligible.

This is particularly good news for Slane, a village famous for its fires. St Patrick was implicated in starting one of them, of course, but in more recent times much of Slane Castle was burned out by a mystery blaze. Today's concert marks a milestone in the restoration work as for the first time since 1991 Henry Mount Charles will be able to watch events from his refurbished living quarters.

While "moshing" (a frenzied form of dancing) will be strongly discouraged at Slane, mumming will be enthusiastically endorsed in Enniscorthy. A traditional dance in south Wexford, it had a mass audience for the first time in many years at the 1999 fleadh, and mummers will again be in action as will the competitions, ceilis and ubiquitous "sessions".

Indeed, in an era of brash marketing, Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann can boast that it does not promote the Fleadh aggressively. Now in its 49th year, the event is self-perpetuating.